It's a Tesseract
by BlackMoonWhiteSky
Summary: Because, every now and then, the phrase, "It's bigger on the inside." isn't quite what comes out. Well... Mar always was a bit different.
1. Prologue: Never Forget Your First Doctor

(It's A Tesseract) Because, every now and then, the phrase, "It's bigger on the inside." isn't quite what comes out. Well, Mar always was a bit different.

* * *

**It's A Tesseract**

**Prologue: You Never Forget Your First Doctor.**

* * *

You never forget your first Doctor.

At least, that's what they say.

I'd like to tell you that it's a lie.

Or an exaggeration.

But it's not.

At least, not for me.

I still remember the first episode I ever saw.

The Unicorn and the Wasp.

Found it late one night, purely accidental really.

I was sick, couldn't sleep.

It looked interesting.

So I watched it.

Didn't see another episode for a while, but I liked it.

Every now and again I'd catch another, but I didn't start **_watching_** consistently until the fifth season.

I only got to watch the first five episodes, because you see…

In the sixth one…

I saw me.

It was in the background, a quick flash of a face through a window, but I knew without doubt that it was me. Somehow, impossibly, it was me.

I grabbed the remote, went to rewind it.

Accidentally changed the channel instead.

Only, that's not exactly what happened.

Or at least, not **_all_** that happened.

It was weird.

There was no getting hit by a car.

No portal opening up randomly.

Not even a Crack in the universe.

No nothing.

I just pushed the wrong button on the TV remote.

And wound up in the universe of Doctor Who.

Didn't even notice at first.

I've been here for nearly four years now.

Haven't seen him, not yet.

I've forgotten so much, don't remember but vaguely what happened in any of the episodes.

But the Doctor?

Him, I remember.

The man whose life is a very **_long_** tragedy.

Who, despite that, is kind.

And good.

The man who has a beautiful soul.

Oh, I remember the Doctor.

And then I met him.


	2. Chapter 1: The Girl Who Was Adequate

(It's A Tesseract) Because, every now and then, the phrase, "It's bigger on the inside." isn't quite what comes out. Well, Mar always was a bit different.

* * *

**It's A Tesseract**

**Chapter 1: The Girl Who Was Adequate.**

* * *

_It was funny, when I finally met him. It was funny because, at first, I didn't know it was him, didn't recognize him. Wrong face. Then he opened that mouth of his._

_And I knew._

_I knew he couldn't be anyone else but the Doctor._

* * *

"Margret Thames, you are positively **_dull_**." Pale green eyes rolled in response and unadorned dusty-pink lips were pursed childishly.

"And you, Rose Tyler, have the **_worst_** taste in men."

The blond scoffed in return. "Please, you're just bitter because you've got a crush on him."

"Him, who? I haven't got a crush on anyone. I'm dull, remember? Dull women don't have crushes. That's something that can be considered interesting. And since I'm dull I can't be interesting. It contradicts itself, it does." Long black hair was pulled up into a loose bun, a few free strands framing a pale, freckled, heart-shaped face. Mar was attractive, but she seemed plain, her air was, as Rose termed it, dull.

She was the sort of person that was described as average. Normal. Ordinary.

She, personally, rather liked the term '_adequate_'. It was a goal of hers, to be adequate. She made it a point to be the kind of person who faded into the background. Mar didn't belong, after all. She was in the wrong universe. Rose Tyler, though… she knew that name from watching Doctor Who, and when she realized that in this alternate universe she lived in the same apartment building… she just couldn't resist.

All she wanted to do was meet her. That was really all. It wasn't an elaborate plan. She didn't have any ulterior motives. She just wanted to meet her. A companion of the Doctor, if that wasn't a viable character reference she didn't know what was. Of corse she had to meet her, how could she resist?

But then they'd got on so well, and the prospect of a friend, after having her whole world turned on its head… it just wasn't something she could resist. Before she knew it, Mar was best friends with Rose and a sort of second daughter to Jackie.

The Thames girl was basically an honorary Tyler.

" 'Sides, there's a difference between finding someone attractive and being **_attracted_** to them. Mickey's cute, sure, but that doesn't mean I like him, and it **_sure_** doesn't mean I want to **_date_** him. Besides, I like my men to have a bit more substance to them, I don't do the whole, '_loyal puppy dog_' thing. It just doesn't appeal to me." She did like him though, in a platonic way, he had his flaws, sure, but he was nice, for the most part. Good to Rose, which was the important bit. Kind of oblivious at times but that's men for you.

"Sure." Rose rolled her eyes behind the magazine she was reading. "That's why you dated that one fellow, oh what was his name? Timothy something."

"That," Mar yanked the magazine away and stared eye-to-eye with her, "was different. I couldn't tell him no, not when he was practically begging like that. And it was only one date anyways, what's one date? I've done worse. You've done a **_lot_** worse. No offense."

Rose just gave her a look before turning her attention to the customer that stepped up to her checkout line. "Yeah, 'cause that's going to make it all better, isn't it? Tacking that bit on the end there, as if it'll make me forget that what you said **_was_** offensive."

Mar opened her mouth to argue before a thoughtful expression crossed her face. "I always did wonder about that. I mean, it's not like you're being unintentionally rude, 'cause you know what you're saying is rude, 'cause you have the sense to add that on, but if you have the sense for that then why don't you have the sense to keep your mouth shut about it in the first place if you know it's offensive, I mean-"

"Margret, you're rambling." The blond was grinning now, she loved it when Mar got like that, it was funny. Especially because she didn't notice that she was doing it, and it took someone directly interrupting her before she'd stop.

"Oh, right. Sorry." Mar rubbed her forehead with a wince. "I was just-"

"**_Thinking_**." Rose chorused along with her, still looking amused.

"Right." Her expression turned sheepish. "Thinking, that's me, always thinking." She frowned slightly, looking around absently. "Always thinking but never a useful thought, that's me." She rubbed harder at her forehead, looking around, slightly more focused. "Do you **_hear_** that?"

"What?" Rose cocked her head, listening. "Oh, you're right. This song is absolutely rubbish."

Mar shot Rose a look that plainly stated, '_Rose, you're crazy, as in, certifiably._' before absently looking around again, "No, that's not-" But she was drowned out by the announcement about the store closing for the night, shaking her from her thoughts.

She blinked, confused.

There was something… she'd been saying something. She tugged on a lock of hair in thought before shaking her head and dismissing it. If she couldn't remember then it must not have been too important. She turned to Rose with a grin. "Right, all done then. You've got a date with Mickey haven't you? Or is that next week?" She began helping Rose pack up, going through the motions for closing time. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Since you had a real, proper date? Your poor puppy needs some lovin'." Her accent dropped in the last sentence, or, rather, reverted.

Because she wasn't even remotely English.

She was an American.

From the South.

Texas, to be specific.

Born and raised and carrying the accent as proof.

But she'd always had an ear for it. For the way people spoke. She couldn't even really help it, drove her to insanity. It made Rose and Jackie laugh though. Sometimes they'd even put on movies where the people spoke differently, just so they could hear her talking funny for a few hours, before it wore off.

It took her a week, just a week, before she sounded as if she'd grown up next door to Rose, using all the right terms and phrases, only messing up occasionally. Though she still couldn't make herself call elevators, '_lifts_', it was one of the only words that just didn't seem to adjust, no matter what. Her natural accent showed only when she was mad, or when she purposely, consciously made it show, and even then it was a bit dramatized.

Rose smacked her arm good-naturedly, laughing and blushing lightly. "Oh, shut up you, 'else I'll start looking for someone to replace that last boy of yours. And I know how much you love it when I play match-maker."

Mar snorted disagreeably, looping her arm with Rose's as they headed out. "You and Mickey-boy both, always hounding me to find a new bo'. What's so bad about being single, huh? Why do I **_have_** to be with someone to prove that I'm happy? I'm fine! I'm happy!" She laughed loudly, almost as if to prove it.

Rose didn't say anything, but her smile turned slightly sad. Because she knew Mar wasn't the least bit happy. Oh, she'd settled well enough, and she certainly had her moments when she was definitely happy, but as a whole? Mar was a lonely, unhappy person. Mar was a lonely, unhappy person who felt a crushing sense of futility clinging to everything she did. And Rose hated to see her like that.

She just clung a bit tighter to her friend's arm, knowing that the best way to keep Mar happy for now was to keep her distracted. Too distracted to think, that was the way. "Well, never mind that, although… I saw this guy come into the shop the other day…"

This time the laugh was real. "Oh, don't you **_dare_**! Don't you **_dare_**, Rose Tyler! You hear me?"

"Yeah-" Rose started laughingly, but she was interrupted as they were about to step out by building security. "I'll just be a moment, why don't you just wait here?"

"And miss out on having Wilson hit on me? Never." She grinned sarcastically and led the way to the elevator.

* * *

The Doctor had been chasing after the Nesteen Consciousness for some time, but this was the first time he knew for sure that he was nearing the end of the chase. He crept along, trying to avoid detection by either his advisory or any bumbling humans that might come across him and ask questions he had neither the time nor the inclination to answer.

He almost groaned aloud when he heard the unmistakable sound of one, no, two girls walking into an ambush that he'd already worked his way around. Humans always seemed to have the worst timing, or maybe he just had really crummy luck, especially when it came to their particular species. Sometimes he wondered why he was so fond of them, they were quite frustrating. That didn't stop him from saving them though.

This time would be no different.


End file.
